Thymostimulin effect on the immune response in pulmonary carcinoma with or without surgical treatment

Panminerva Med. 1993 Dec;35(4):224-30.

Abstract

Experience with 54 patients affected by pulmonary carcinoma treated or not with surgery and undergoing thymostimulin administration during long-term follow-up (70 mg i.m. every other day for 3 months), is reported. Drug intolerance was observed in 5.5% of cases. In patients who were able to complete the therapeutic cycle (50 cases) objective improvement of Performance Status was obtained in 46% of cases and subjective improvement in nearly 90%. The course of neoplastic disease showed definite progression (presence of local recurrence or distant metastasis) in 20% of cases, remission in 6%. No case of onset of pulmonary or extrapulmonary infections was observed. After treatment, a significant increase (between 24% and 108%) in blood parameters (circulation lymphocytes, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, IgG, IgA, IgM) was observed in 28-56% of cases. As for CD4 increase, this was accompanied by concomitantly positive Merieaux test in 44.5% of cases. Quiescence or complete remission has appeared to occur together with high CD16 values, progression with high CD8 and low CD16 values.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / therapeutic use*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma / immunology*
  • Carcinoma / surgery*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / immunology
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / physiopathology
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Interferon Inducers / therapeutic use*
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology
  • Thymus Extracts / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Interferon Inducers
  • Thymus Extracts
  • thymostimulin